Marcus Strauss
Marc Strauss is a Captain in the Starfleet Marines Corps currently serving on board the SS Alexander. Background Marcus Alric Strauss was born in the city of Wiesbaden in southwest Germany, the youngest son in a family that boasted himself, his parents and three younger sisters. His father Elbert, was a doctor at Saint Josefs-Hospital while his mother was a school teacher at the Helene-Lange-School The oldest of four children, Marc was the only boy of the Strauss children. Although disappointed that his mother had betrayed him by producing three younger sisters, Marc nevertheless loved his sisters and grew to be very protective of them. However, that did not prevent him from having his fun as evidenced by the insects they sometimes found in their beds, often after they were particularly whinny. They lived in thedistrict of Mainz-Kaste and the Strauss children attended Helene-Lange when they were old enough. The family would share picnics on the Rhine and travel to Gstaad during their annual holidays to take in the snow. The Strauss also had a proud military tradition though Elbert never encouraged it, even if he was proud to cite that Wiesbaden was home to General Ludwig Beck, the 20th century soldier who'd attempted to assasinate Hitler at the end of the war or in the past, the Strauss family had aided the Confessing Church resistance movement against the Nazis during that time. By the time he was in his teens, Marc found his interest lay in engineering and spent his past times building model air planes and at high school was an active contributor in the science fair, usually because he'd built some contraption that bordered on insanity and ingenuity. When he was sixteen, it seemed only natural that he'd enrolled at Starfleet Academy. Ironically, it was his enrolment there that would save his life. Destruction of Earth A few months later, Marc like many Starfleet cadets had been drafted to help the evacuation when the Xindi Planet Killer arrived. While the duty ensured his survival, the rest of his family, including his three sisters and his parents did not survive. Marc was devastated by the loss which was only alleviated by the comfort and friendship of fellow cadet Amina Siddig, who had also lost her family from her native Egypt. It took two years to reach their new home in the system of Ceti Alpha by which time Marc and Amina's friendship had developed into into romance. By the time they were able to graduate completely from Starfleet Academy some three years later, they were engaged to be married. Marc's skill as an engineer was better served on the ground and in the first few years of their life on the colony, the Strauss' time together was separated by Amina's posting on a starship and Marc's work as a civil engineer, building facilities for the refugees of Earth. By the time, their son Billy was born, Marc had opted out of Starfleet and chose to work directly for the fledging civilian services governing Gaia, gaining the freedom to raise Billie while Amina went back to work at Starfleet. Klingon Attack, 2165 It was during the Klingon attack on Gaia in 2165, that tragedy struck. While Amina and the rest of Starfleet were engaged in battling the Xindi Planet Killer, the Klingon attack on colony brought the colony to its knees. During the arial bombardment, the evacuation shelter that Marc and Billy were taking refuge in was hit by Klingon disruptors. The building collapsed and while Marc survived, Billy did not. His guilt was further worsened by Amina's anger towards him at being unable to protect her child. The rift between them did not improve and within six months, the couple had separated. Marines Wanting to step out of his life, Marc signed up for the Sharks because the possibility that rejoining Starfleet might put him anywhere near Amina was too painful. As a result, following basic, he was immediately sent to Officer Training and commissioned as a second lieutenant. By the end of the Xindi War three years later, he'd achieve the rank of Captain, having been assigned to a squad in Bajor to help with the defense of that frontline position and been involved in numerous engagements. Following Azati Prime, he learned that Amina had been listed as one of the dead following the lost of 35 ships. Following the end of the war, Marc had been assigned to the newly commissioned SS Alexander. Personality Marc is a wounded soul, carrying a bad case of survivor's guilt. The loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage are proof of this. Life in the sharks suits him well because it is an outlet to express his anger. He is often quiet and introspective but will take charge when he needs to. At heart, a man who doesn't believe fighting is always the answer, he's distinguished himself in being a thinking Marine though can be ruthless when the need arises. When he needs to think, he resorts to building models like he did in his youth. Vital Statistics Height: 6' Age: 33 Family *Elbert - father (deceased) *Karoline - Mother (deceased) *Billie, Genevieve, Mallory - Sisters (deceased) *Amina - Wife (deceased) *Billy - Son (deceased) Distinguishing Marks: Scar under chin from injuries incurred during the Klingon attack. Education: *Helene-Lange-School *Starfleet Academy Training *Starfleet Academy *Starfleet Marine Corps, Gaia